Hearth and Home
by Jlbrew28
Summary: Duncan learns a few surprising things about Richie that only makes his resolve to give the boy a home and family stronger. 1 of 3. Warning: spanking in later chapters.
1. A Few Unmentioned Facts

Highlander

Highlander

"Hearth and Home"

Summary: Duncan learns some surprising news about Richie, which only makes his resolve to give the boy a home and family that much stronger.

Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, Richie is only fifteen; takes place in season one just after "Family Tree".

Warning: This story will contain spanking of a teenager. If this offends, PLEASE don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor will I ever. I am simply writing this story purely for my personal enjoyment.

Chapter 1: A Few Unmentioned Facts

"RICHIE!" Duncan MacLeod's booming voice bellowed throughout the antique store and the loft above.

The sound of running footsteps were heard and few moments later his teenage store clerk pulled a very Tom Cruise-like slide across the floor to come to a halt in front of what appeared to be one very pissed off Immortal Scot. "You bellowed, boss?" Richie asked, grinning cheekily.

Duncan, however, was not amused in the least. "I just got off the phone with Ms. Parkinson," he told him, raising an eyebrow, "care to guess what she told me?"

Richie's eyes widened. _Miserable old bat, I knew she'd spill the beans._ "It was an accident, Mac," the reddish-blonde teen began his "hasty" explanation. "She came out of no where. It's not like I meant to hit her with that duster!"

A snort and giggle came from the direction of the main store, indicating Tessa was eavesdropping. "Tess," Duncan called out, exasperated, "it's not funny!"

His beautiful blonde lover of twelve years came strolling into the office, clearly amused by the situation. "Come now, Duncan," she said, going over and putting an arm around the teenager, "he said it was an accident, after all. Besides, Ms. Parkinson is a stuffy old lady. I'm sure she looked rather nice with a face full of feathers." Tessa had never liked the woman, despite her being one of their regular customers. She had always allowed Duncan, who seemed able to charm females of any age, deal with her.

Duncan sighed, knowing when he was out numbered. "All right," he said, then pointed a reprimanding finger at their errant store clerk, "but if I catch you break dancing in the store again, you'll be cleaning it from top to bottom with a tooth brush. Understand?"

Richie nodded. "Yeah, boss," he said, snapping off a hasty retreat. "Got it."

Duncan shook his head and grinned. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked, affectionately. It had only been a few weeks since the teenager had moved in, after their rather unique introduction to each other, and already he managed to wrap him and his lover around his little finger; almost, but not quite.

Richie shrugged. "You could always give me a raise?" he suggested, cheekily.

"I'll raise you!" Duncan said, smiling. He reached out to ruffle the teenager's hair, but the boy dodged.

"Boy, Mac," Richie said, "you must be getting slow in your old age, huh?" He then beat if feet first back up to the loft and to the sandwich he'd left on the kitchen counter.

Duncan and Tessa shared a look with each other, both shaking their head in amusement at the teenager's antics. A knock on the office door alerted them to someone else's presence and they turned to find themselves facing a middle-aged woman in a cream colored business suit and carrying a briefcase.

"Can we help you?" Duncan asked her, politely.

The woman smiled and stepped all the way into the office. "As a matter of fact, you can," she told him. "Mr. MacLeod, my name is Joyce Harrison. I'm a social worker with the Southside Orphanage. I here regard the young man that just went flying out of here. Richie Ryan, I believe his name is."

Duncan and Tessa once again shared a look, this one of concern. "Is there anything wrong?" the Highlander asked her. "Should I call Richie back down here?"

Mrs. Harrison hesitated. "I don't believe that would be the best idea," she said. "What I want to speak to you about concerns Richie's files. I believe he tried to steal them a few days ago."

Duncan nodded, remembering just WHERE all that had led to. "I can assure you it won't happen again," he told her. "Richie and I had a very LONG talk about it."

Mrs. Harrison smiled. "I'm sure you did," she said, "but it isn't the stealing I'm here to discuss with you, Mr. MacLeod. It's the fact that I think you have been misled concerning certain facts about young Mr. Ryan."

Duncan raised an eyebrow, and then remembered his manners. "Will you please sit down, then?" he asked, indicating the chairs in front of the desk.

Mrs. Harrison did so before she continued her discussion. "After Richie's files were returned," she explained, "we noticed something in them that didn't quite make a lot of sense, so we checked them with the files we have on the computer. It seems there was one difference between them."

"What was that?" Tessa asked, curious.

"Well," Mrs. Harrison said, "on our computer files it says Mr. Ryan's birth year is 1975, which as you know would make him eighteen. However, on the hard copy of the files it says his birth year is 1978."

Duncan's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "That would make him fifteen," he said, surprised.

Mrs. Harrison nodded. "Yes," she said. "Mr. MacLeod, I really do not know how this discrepancy and it is really quite embarrassing to us because of it. However, that is not the point. The point is, you are currently housing a young man who isn't of legal age."

"Y-Your not going to take Richie away, are you?" Tessa asked her, tears forming in her eyes at the very idea. "Duncan and I have come to care for him greatly.

"I could tell that," Mrs. Harrison said. "I couldn't help but hear the interaction between the three of you and quite frankly I'm very pleased. Richie has always been a very independent child and his placements haven't always been the best."

"Mrs. Harrison," Duncan said, a resolve settling over him in that moment, "what would it take for me to adopt him?"

Mrs. Harrison looked surprised. "You would consider adopting him?" she asked, a note of hopefulness in her voice.

"The reason I gave Richie a job in the first place is because I wanted to get him off the streets," he explained to her. "That boy has a lot of potential but he needs a home and family to help him reach it. We've been trying to "guide" him without really "interfering" in his life."

"We did not feel we had the right," Tessa explained, "being that he was supposed to be eighteen and all."

Mrs. Harrison nodded, understanding. "It is obvious you care for him," she told them, "but do you not want children of your own. You are both still reasonably young."

_If you only knew,_ Duncan couldn't help but think. Out loud, he said, "I'm afraid I'm unable to have children."

"Oh, I see," Mrs. Harrison said, sadly understanding. "Well, Mr. MacLeod, it is not usually done this way, but seeing as how Richie has been acting as an emancipated adult for the last couple of months and the mistake was entirely ours to begin I will begin the adoption process immediately. In the mean time, I will need you to sign some papers that will give you legal custody of young Mr. Ryan." She pulled out some papers from her briefcase and sat them on his desk.

Duncan read through them thoroughly, understanding everything they said, and then picked up pen and signed his name. He then handed the papers back to Mrs. Harrison. "Thank you for this," he told her, grinning.

Mrs. Harrison smiled back, putting the papers back into her briefcase. "No, Mr. MacLeod," she said, standing, "is I who should be thanking you. It is obvious you care for Richie very much and will give him a wonderful home and family. I will, of course, be coming by periodically to check on things and to let you know how the adoption proceeding is going." She held out her hand to him.

"Yes, of course," Duncan said, standing and shaking her hand. "Thank you again."

Mrs. Harrison nodded, shook Tessa's hand, and then exited the office. For several moments, neither the Immortal nor his lover spoke. He then turned and headed for the door.

"Mac," Tessa asked, "where are you going?"

"Richie and I need to have a little talk, Tess," Duncan told her, "about a few unmentioned facts." He then headed up the stairs to the loft, a determined look on his face.

Tessa sighed.

For Richie's sake, she hoped the boy wouldn't be TOO difficult.

TBC…


	2. What Matters Most

Highlander

Highlander

"Hearth and Home"

Summary: Duncan learns some surprising news about Richie, which only makes his resolve to give the boy a home and family that much stronger.

Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, Richie is only fifteen; takes place in season one just after "Family Tree".

Warning: This story will contain spanking of a teenager. If this offends, PLEASE don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor will I ever. I am simply writing this story purely for my personal enjoyment.

Chapter 2: What Matters Most

Duncan found Richie (of course) in the kitchen. The boy's seemingly never ending appetite had become a source of great amusement for him and Tessa over the last few weeks.

"Hey, Mac," Richie said, in-between bites of his sandwich.

"Hey, Rich," Duncan said, coming to lean against the counter. He studied the boy closely for a few moments.

He and Tessa had always thought he looked younger, but who were they to say anything? After all, Duncan himself appeared much younger than what he really was, so…but it still bothered the Scot that they hadn't seen it before. Although, what REALLY bothered him was that Richie hadn't trusted him enough to tell him the truth.

Richie looked up at him. "What?" he asked, wondering why his Immortal employer was staring at him so weirdly. "You aren't mad about that "old" joke I made, are you?"

Duncan grinned. "Of course not, Rich," he said, coming over and sitting down next to the boy, "but there is something I need to talk to you about."

Richie started to worry, and more importantly started trying to remember what it was he'd done wrong today…besides the whole hitting the old bat in the face with a feather duster while break dancing in the store thing, that is.

"Tessa and I were wondering," Duncan said, "even though we celebrated your birthday, you never really did tell us how old you were?"

Richie planted a smile on his face, hoping to hide the fact that his stomach had just plummeted into his feet. "Come on, Mac," he said, "you know how old I am."

"I know how old Powell said you were," Duncan corrected him, "but I really want to hear it from you." He eyed the teen, wondering how much rope he needed before he hung himself.

Richie had most definitely lost his appetite. He had never out right lied to the Immortal before; sure, he'd been evasive but hadn't ever told the man an actual bold-faced lie. If he told him he was eighteen, that'd be a lie and he didn't think he could live with himself after that and knew Mac wouldn't be happy with him either.

"Mac, I…" he faltered, unable to say anything at all.

Duncan reached over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Its okay, Tough Guy," he told him, "I already know."

Richie's eyes widened at that. "Y-You do!?" he asked before he could stop himself. "Uh, I mean know what?" Again that fake smile of his was plastered all over his face.

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "Richie," he said, warningly.

Richie could not for the life of him understand how the man did that. He always managed to convey several different emotions in just one word. It was down right scary at times. He slumped, pushing his food away from him. "H-How did you find out?" he asked, hesitantly.

Duncan reached over and lifted the boy's chin so that he was looking him directly in the eyes. "Mrs. Harrison from the Orphanage paid us a visit a few minutes ago," he explained.

The blood drained out of Richie's face. "T-They know," he stammered, "but that means…"

"That means they know you're only fifteen years old," Duncan told him, firmly, "and that you're living here with me."

"Mac," Richie said, "you don't understand. They'll—"

"They won't do anything, Rich," Duncan told him. "Mrs. Harrison had me sign some forms that make me your legal guardian while the adoption is being processed."

"Adoption?" Richie asked, puzzled. "You're adopting someone?"

Duncan rolled his eyes. "Yeah," he said, grinning, "a certain fifteen year old former thief who loves to eat and had a thing for motorcycles."

"You're gonna adopt me!?" Richie asked, not sure whether to be excited or indignant. "You didn't even ask me—"

"Of course not, Richie," Duncan told him. "Parents are the one who decide to have children. No child should ever have to decide whether they are adopted or not. Don't you want to be adopted?"

Richie didn't know and he said as much. "I don't want parents anymore," he said, not looking into the man's eyes.

Again, Duncan reached over and pulled the boy's chin up. "Maybe not," he said, "but you need them. Do you really think I'll be that bad of a dad?"

Richie's eyes widened at that. "HLL no!" he exclaimed. "After everything you've done for me, Mac, you'd make a great dad. I-I just don't know if I'll make a great son."

Duncan grinned, putting his arm around the boy and giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Rich," he said, "you don't have to be great. All that matters is that you be yourself. I'll love you no matter what. I promise."

Richie felt tears sting his eyes and he looked away so the man wouldn't see them. "And Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod always keeps his promises," he said, quietly.

Duncan chuckled. "You'd better believe it, laddie," he said, ruffling the boy's hair. "Come on, let's go. I think I want take my boy to the park for a little while. We can go play a little one on one."

Richie smiled. "You'd really play basketball with me?" he asked, grinning.

Duncan nodded. "Yep," he said, "I most certainly will. Go grab your coat."

"Sure," Richie said, starting that way. He jumped when he felt a sharp smack land on the seat of his jeans. He spun around, rubbing his stinging posterior and looked at Duncan.

"That," the Highlander told him, "was for the swearing. Got me?" He leveled him with a very pointed look.

Still rubbing his butt, Richie nodded. "Yeah, boss," he said, "I gotcha."

Duncan smiled. "Good," he said, "now grab your coat. I'll meet you at the T-Bird." Richie nodded and went to get his jacket from his room. Duncan couldn't help but smile, thinking that after all these centuries he was finally going to have a son of his very own.

_I can't wait to call Connor!_

Whistling to himself, the Highlander headed downstairs to grab his own jacket and give his beautiful Tessa a kiss before they left. He was taking his kid to the park, and no Immortal had better dare interrupt them.

TBC…


	3. Unacceptable Risks

Highlander

Highlander

"Hearth and Home"

Summary: Duncan learns some surprising news about Richie, which only makes his resolve to give the boy a home and family that much stronger.

Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, Richie is only fifteen; takes place in season one just after "Family Tree".

Warning: This story will contain spanking of a teenager. If this offends, PLEASE don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor will I ever. I am simply writing this story purely for my personal enjoyment.

Chapter 3: Unacceptable Risks

The drive to the park was a silent one. Richie was obviously trying to digest their conversation and all the new information he'd been told, and Duncan did not want to push him into talking until he was ready.

When they got to the park, they made their way to the basketball courts. With it being a week day, they pretty much had the hoops all to themselves. For about an hour they played one-on-one. Richie, of course, won almost every game. It wasn't that Duncan didn't know how to play; it was simply the fact that until Richie had come into his life he'd never played all that often. Besides, it made his kid happy and that's all that mattered to him.

"How about we take a breather, pal?" Duncan asked, after about the fifth or sixth game. He was sweating a great deal and as good a shape as he was in he was most definitely winded.

Richie grinned. He'd barely worked up a sweat. "Sure, Mac," he said, a note of smugness, "wouldn't want the old man to collapse on me."

Duncan chuckled at that. "You've been throwing that word 'old' around a bit lately," he said, feigning indignity. "You just wait, young man. One morning I'm gonna haul your butt out of bed and make you go for a run with me. Then we'll see who's old and whose not, I guarantee it." The horrified expression on Richie's face made him laugh that much harder.

"Ah," Richie groaned, "anything but THAT!" He laughed also, coming over and joining his…uh…friend on the benches.

Duncan shook his head. "You know," he said, seriously, "if you actually tried running, you might like it."

Richie rolled his eyes. "I've run plenty," he told him.

Duncan returned the eye roll. "Running from the cops don't count, Rich," he told him.

Richie shrugged. "It was still running," he said. "You know, you'd think the cops would have a regulation about keeping their people in shape. The fat, doughnut eating variety that chased after me was so outta shape it wasn't even funny! Maybe I should mention that to Powell the next time I see him."

"You'd best not be seeing him again anytime soon," Duncan told him. He was giving him a very pointed look.

"Yeah, yeah," Richie said, "I know. 'No criminal activities whatsoever or else." They'd had THAT discussion after he'd tried to swipe his foster-care records a few weeks ago.

Duncan nodded. "Believe me, partner," he told him, firmly, "you won't like 'or else' at all."

"HELP!" A female voice shouted, making the look up. "THAT MAN STOLE MY PURSE!" They saw an older lady pointed in the direction of a man running in the opposite direction, carrying her handbag with him.

Without even thinking, Richie was up and moving before Duncan could stop him. "RICHIE!" he shouted after the boy, who had gone after the mugger. "STOP!" He was up and moving now, right on the teenager's heels.

Richie didn't listen. He kept running after the purse snatcher. Luckily, youth and stamina were on his side because he caught up with him fairly quickly. Once he was within a few feet of him, he dove and tackled him to the ground. A brief scuffle ensued in which the teen managed to wrench the handbag from his grasp. The thief was up and running again after that. He started to go after him, but a restraining hand on his shoulder stopped him.

He turned to face an angry looking Duncan MacLeod. "He's getting away, Mac!" he said, pointing at the thief was growing smaller in the distance.

"Let him," Duncan told him, his jaw clenching. "Don't you EVER do something like that again!"

"But Mac…" Richie started to argue, but was again cut off.

"No buts, Richie," Duncan told him, still very angry at what the boy had done. "What if he had a gun, huh? He could have shot you!"

Richie rolled his eyes at that. "Come on, Mac," he said, thinking that man was just being paranoid. "He didn't have a gun…"

"That you could see," Duncan told him. "It could easily have been tucked into his pants underneath his jacket. What if it had gone off when you tackled him? We could be having this conversation in hospital right now, young man!" Or in the morgue, he added silently to himself. He intended Richie to live a long full life and hopeful die an old man while taking a nap in his bed. The boy's reckless manner wasn't making it easy on him, though.

"You'd have gone after him," Richie argued, a little bit sullenly. He'd done a good deed and now he was getting the riot act for it. That just totally sucked! "What was I supposed to do? Just let the bstrd get away with!?"

Duncan's eye practically blazed. "We have a mobile phone in the car, Richard," he said, sternly. "We could have called the police, and what I would do isn't the issue here. You taking an unnecessary and unacceptable risk is."

"But…" Richie started to argue again, but was again cut off.

"I don't want to here it," Duncan told him. "Some risks, Richie, are unacceptable and this was one of 'em. Now, let's go return the lady her handbag and then head home. We need to have a talk." He turned and started walking back towards the basketball courts. Richie followed sullenly behind him.

When they reached the little old lady, Richie handed her bag back to her. "Here you go, Ma'am," he said, hoping he didn't sound rude or anything. He was still miffed at Mac.

"Oh," the woman said, "thank you so much, young man, but you really shouldn't have done that. You could have been hurt!"

"It's okay, Ma'am," Richie said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Nothing I couldn't handle." He pointedly ignored the snort that came from Duncan's direction.

The little old lady smiled at Mac. "You have a very nice son," she told him. "You must be proud of him."

Duncan smiled, reaching over and pulling Richie close. "I sure am, ma'am," he told her. "Very proud." Now it was his turn to ignore the snort coming from the kid beside him.

The little old lady seemed oblivious to all of this, however. "Thank you both so much," she told him, "I wish there was something I could do to repay you."

"That's not necessary, Ma'am," Duncan told her, tightening his grip on Richie's shoulder to make certain the boy kept his mouth shut. "We were happy to do it."

The little old lady nodded. "Thank you again," she said, "and you take good care of him."

Duncan nodded. "I intend to," he promised.

With that, the little old lady turned and headed for the exit of the park. The moment she was gone, Richie jerked away from the Highlander.

"Sure you're real proud of me," he muttered, sulking. "So proud you just chewed my as—ow!" He yelped because a stinging swat had landed on his butt. Spinning around, he rubbed it, and glared at the Immortal Scot.

"What did I tell you about the language?" Duncan asked him, raising and eyebrow.

"Geez," Richie said, "I'm sorry. Okay?"

"No, Richie," Duncan said, his voice hard, "it's not okay, but it will be. Come on, let's go on home. We'll get cleaned up, get something to eat, and then have that talk."

"What about?" Richie asked, hesitantly.

"About what the rules are going to be from now on," Duncan told him, "and what the consequences for breaking those rules will be."

"Oh," Richie said, glumly.

Duncan noticed this reaction, but it didn't change his mind any. They needed to get things cleared up so they both knew what to expect from each other. It was only way that they would ever have anything remotely like a father-son relationship. "Hey, Rich," he said, getting the boy's attention.

"Yeah?" the boy asked, hesitantly.

"I really AM proud of you," he told him, gently.

Richie grinned at that. "Thanks, Mac," he said, quietly.

Duncan just shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked, ruffling his hair.

"Throw me back," Richie suggested, teasing.

"Not on your life, laddie," he told him, firmly. "From here on out, you're just plain stuck with me."

"I can live with that."

_Me, too._ Duncan thought as they got into the T-Bird and headed for home.

TBC…


	4. Responsibility

Highlander

Highlander

"Hearth and Home"

Summary: Duncan learns some surprising news about Richie, which only makes his resolve to give the boy a home and family that much stronger.

Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, Richie is only fifteen; takes place in season one just after "Family Tree".

Warning: This story will contain spanking of a teenager. If this offends, PLEASE don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor will I ever. I am simply writing this story purely for my personal enjoyment.

Chapter 4: Responsibility

The drive home from the park was just as silent as the ride _to_ it, only for completely different reasons; Duncan was still too upset about what happened with purse snatcher that all he could do was grip the steering wheel tightly and Richie was just plain guilty.

Normally, he would be trying to talk his way out of trouble but somehow this was different. Maybe it was because this was the first time Mac had been really pissed at him. Yeah, sure, he'd gotten upset about the 'file swipe' incident, but he'd gotten over it pretty quickly. Richie didn't think he was going to get over this any time soon. There was also the fact that the man now knew he was only fifteen and was petitioning to adopt him.

That, he was still trying to wrap his mind around. Mac had only known him for a few weeks, barely even a month, and now he wanted to be his dad! That just didn't make sense to him, although with Mac he supposed that after four hundred years the man must have figured out a thing or two that was probably to profound for mere mortals…or teenagers.

After reaching the store, they headed inside and up to the loft. Tessa greeted them. "Hey there," she said, "you're just in time for lunch. How was the park?"

"Fine," Richie said, shrugging. "I'm gonna go take a shower." He moved past her and headed for his room.

Tessa looked at Duncan in confusion. "What happened?" she asked. "Did you not have a good time?"

Duncan nodded. "Oh, we had a blast," he told her, truthfully, "until a certain teenager decided to play hero." He then told her what had happened.

"What are you going to do?" she asked him, quietly.

"First," he told her, "I'm going to go shower and change; and then we're going to have lunch. After that, we're all going to sit down and discuss the rules around here from now on."

Tessa nodded. "Good," she told him, kissing him on the cheek, "now go shower. You stink."

"Yes, ma'am," Duncan said, snapping off a quick salute. He then went to do as he was told.

Lunch consisted of a well seasoned beef stew with lots of vegetables and thick rolls. Dessert was a chocolate pudding Tessa had whipped up first thing that morning and that they would more than likely finish off at dinner tonight. Richie, of course, out did either of them by eating three large bowels of the two (to each of their one) and half a dozen rolls. He even managed to put away a medium sized bowel of the pudding.

Tessa grinned. "Where on Earth do you put all that?" she asked him, teasingly.

Richie blushed. "Uh," he said, "sorry about that."

Duncan shook his head. "Don't sweat it, tough guy," he told him. "You're a growing boy and heaven knows you're far too thin for my taste."

"Gee," Richie said, rolling his eyes, "you really know how to boost a guy's ego, Mac."

Duncan chuckled, ruffling the lad's hair. "Come on," he said, "let's go into the living room and have that chat." Tessa nodded and got up also.

"What about the dishes?" Richie asked, hoping to stall for time.

Duncan grinned. "You can do them after our talk," he told him. "Come on."

Richie sighed. Getting up, he followed his two employers into the living room and flopped down on the sofa. He looked every inch of a belligerent teenager in trouble. Duncan and Tessa couldn't help but grin at each other over the top of his head. They both sat down on the sofa beside him.

"All right, Richie," Duncan began, "this discussion is about what new rules there going to be around here and what breaking those rules will mean. Understand?"

Richie nodded, glumly. "Yes, sir," he said, quietly.

"All right," Duncan said, "you already know to keep your room clean, pick up after yourself, and generally not make a mess. We're going to add to that doing the dishes after lunch, and taking out the garbage. All right?" Those seemed like fairly typical chores teenagers were assigned to do at home, he thought.

Richie nodded. "Yes, sir," he said. Those were all reasonable things and ones he could do easily.

"Now," Duncan said, "our original arrangement will pretty much remain the same…with one condition. When you go out, at any time, me or Tess one need to know WHERE you're going, WHEN you plan to be back, and WHO you're going with. If you go out at night, we'll expect you back here by ten on week days and eleven on weekends. You need to be in bed thirty minutes after that. Got it?"

Again, Richie nodded. He should have known that he'd be getting a curfew.

_Man! That just stinks. _

He wasn't about to argue, though. Mac was being really reasonable considering some of the rules his foster parents had laid down for him.

"What about school?" Tessa asked, curiously.

"Please, don't make me go back," Richie told them, pleadingly.

"We won't," Duncan assured him, "at least unless we absolutely HAVE to. For now, we'll tutor you ourselves. I'll cover math, history, and science. Tessa can cover art, literature, and French."

"You want me to learn French?" Richie asked, surprised.

"Of course," Tessa told him, smiling, "so that when we go to visit my family in France you will be able to understand what is being said." She couldn't wait for her parents to meet him. She just knew they'd love him, especially her Papa. Her sisters had only girls, so he'll finally have a grandson to dote on.

Richie wasn't sure he liked the idea of meeting Tessa's family, but it was nice that she was excited about him doing it.

"Now then," Ducan said, "about what happens when you break a rule."

Richie winced, but he paid him no mind. "Most little things we'll over look within reason," Duncan explained, "because you ARE a kid and kids are going to make mistakes. Most of the time, you'll probably be grounded, given extra chores, or have your allowance docked…"

"I'm gonna get an allowance?" Richie asked, surprised. "Does this mean I'm not going to be working in the store now?"

"No," Duncan told him, "you'll still be working in the store and getting your regular pay, too. It's just, for the chores you do in the loft that you'll earn a weekly allowance that you'll get on Friday. Tessa and I'll discuss what it will be later. Okay?"

Richie nodded, surprised. None of his other foster parents had given him an allowance before. Of course, Mac and Tessa weren't you average foster parents.

"Back to what I was saying, though," Duncan said, swinging the conversation back to their discussion. "Those will be your punishments for the most part; however, there are three Major things that will get you in very serious trouble. Being rude/disrespectful, being deliberately disobedient—meaning that if one of us tells you not to do something and you do it anyway—and putting yourself in unnecessary/unacceptable danger will earn you not only those other things I mentioned but will also earn you a trip over my knee for a spanking."

Richie's eyes widened at that. "Y-You can't be serious!" he exclaimed.

"As a heartbeat," Duncan told him, firmly.

"Come on, Mac," Richie argued, "people don't do that anymore and besides I'm not some little kid…"

"No," Duncan agreed with him, "you're not a 'little' kid, but you're still a kid; and that rule stands. Do any of the three things I mentioned just now and your going to find sitting down VERY uncomfortable." He gave him a very pointed look.

Richie couldn't believe it. Mac was serious and if there was one thing he knew it was Mac always kept his word. "Oh," he said, his mind flashing to the incident at the park, "does that mean you're going to…uh, you know…for what happened today?"

"Are you asking me if I'm going to spank you for running after that purse snatcher earlier?" Duncan asked him, bluntly.

Richie's face reddened, but he nodded. "Yeah," he said, "are you?"

"Do you think I should?" Duncan asked him.

That question startled him. "Say what?" he asked, surprised.

Duncan didn't even blink. "You heard me," he said, "I asked if you think you deserve a spanking for what you did earlier?"

"I…I…" Richie didn't know what to say.

Duncan exchanged a look with Tessa. _Give us a minute, love_, he silently mouthed to her.

She nodded. _I'll be in my work shop,_ she mouthed back. Getting up, she left the two of them alone to finish the discussion.

"Richie," Duncan said, "look at me, please?"

Richie slowly lifted his eyes to look at the Highladner. "Yeah, Mac?" he said.

"Do you think I should spank you for what happened at the park?" He asked him, again.

"Come on, Mac," Richie complained, "how can you expect me to answer that?"

"Because," Duncan said, "as your father it's my job to teach you responsibility. Taking responsibility for your actions is a big part of life, Tough Guy, and you're just going to have to accept that. Now, I'll ask again, do you think you deserve a spanking for running after a possibly dangerous man who might have been carrying a weapon on him AFTER I specifically told you to stop?"

Richie winced. When it was put that way, what he had done was pretty awful. "Yes," he said, after a moment. He _did_ deserve it, after all.

Duncan smiled brightly at him. "Thank you, Rich," he told him, "now go do the dishes."

Richie's head flew up so fast he was surprised he didn't get whiplash. "That's it?" he asked. "Y-You're not going to do it. After you made me squirm like that?"

Duncan chuckled at him. "Making his kid squirm is what a dad does best," he told him, affectionately. "While what you did at the park was dangerous and foolish, you didn't know how I felt at the time. You do now. I appreciate that you understand and accept the responsibility of what you done, but I'm not going to punish you. This time. If it happens again, you won't so lucky though. Understand?"

Richie nodded. "Yeah, Mac," he said, "I got it."

Duncan grinned. "Good," he said, pulling the boy up and into a hug, "now go do the dishes." He sent him off with a light smack to his backside.

Richie smiled and then went to do as he was told.

TBC…


	5. Sneaking Out

Highlander

Highlander

"Hearth and Home"

Summary: Duncan learns some surprising news about Richie, which only makes his resolve to give the boy a home and family that much stronger.

Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, Richie is only fifteen; takes place in season one just after "Family Tree".

Warning: This story will contain spanking of a teenager. If this offends, PLEASE don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor will I ever. I am simply writing this story purely for my personal enjoyment.

Chapter 5: Sneaking Out

"Richie!" Tessa called out. "Telephone!"

"Who is it, Tess?" Richie asked, coming out of his bedroom.

"Someone named Gary," Tessa told him, handing him the phone.

"Gary, cool," Richie said, smiling, "thanks." She just grinned at him and headed down to her work shop.

"Hey, Richie," Gary Corell's voice spoke through the phone. "Who was that?"

"Hey, Gar," Richie said, "and that was Tessa."

"Is she hot?" Gary asked, curious. "Cuz she sounds hot, man. That accent just like totally got to me and all she said was 'Hello'!"

_Only you, Gar, _Richie thought with a grin. "Yeah, man," he told him, "she's drop dead gorgeous all right, but she also comes attached with a big burly Scotsman who happens to have a lot of antique—and very sharp—swords on hand that can cut off your head or any other "vital" parts of your anatomy no problem."

Gary laughed at that. "All right, man," he said, "I get the picture. Listen, man, you might not have remembered so I thought I'd call and invite you to my birthday bash tonight."

Richie inwardly groaned. He had forgotten that Gary's birthday was today and that his friend was now nineteen. "What time tonight?" Richie asked him. There was no way he was about to miss this party.

"At ten," Gary answered him.

Then again…

Richie groaned. It was Wednesday, which meant his new curfew was for exactly when the party started, and he knew there was just no way Mac was going to let him leave the house at that time of night. "Why so late, man?" he asked without thinking.

"Late?" Gary asked, puzzled. "Rich, what are you talking about? Most of our parties don't start 'til midnight! Why? Is there a problem?"

Richie bit his lip. Things may have changed around the store and the loft, but to all the guys in the old neighborhood he was still eighteen. "No," he told him, "no problem."

"What's no problem?" Duncan asked, entering the kitchen just in time to catch that last line.

Richie jumped a foot in the air. "Mac," he groaned, covering up the phone's mouth piece, "I'm on the phone here! Warn a guy, will ya?"

Duncan just grinned. "Sorry," he apologized, knowing how much Richie valued privacy. "When you get done gabbing, how about you come down and help me unload that shipment of statues we just got in. Huh?"

Richie nodded. "Sure thing, Mac," he said, already putting the phone back up to his ear, "I'll be right there."

"Uh huh," Duncan said, rolling his eyes. "Ten minutes, Rich, or I cut the phone line."

"Yeah, yeah," Richie said, returning the eye roll.

Chuckling, Duncan ruffled his hair (earning himself a dirty look from the teen) and headed down into the store. Richie fixed his hair back and returned to his phone conversation.

"I'm guessing that was the big burly Scotsman," Gary said. "Sounds like he treats ya kinda like a kid."

_You have no idea, _Richie thought to himself. "Yeah, that was Mac," he said. "He's cool, most of the time. He only gets all bossy when it comes to heavy lifting. I think he's just getting old myself, but don't ever tell _him_ that!"

Gary laughed again. "So," he said, "about the party?"

Richie again bit his lip. What was he going to do? "I'll try to make it, Gar," he told him, "but I can't make any promises. Okay?"

Gary sighed. "Okay, Rich," he said, trying and failing to hide his disappointment, "it's just that all the guys were kinda looking forward to seeing you. We haven't seen you since you started working in Yuppie-Ville. I had to knock Marco a good one the other day for saying you'd turned into one yourself."

A Yuppie? His friends had thought he'd turned into a rich snob? How could they possibly think that? "I told you, Gar," he said, "I'll try."

"Richie!" Duncan voiced called from downstairs, a note of warning in it.

"I gotta go, Gar," Richie told his friend. "The lord and master's calling."

"Right, Rich," Gary said, "please, try and come. It's going to be totally awesome! Catch ya later."

"Right," Richie said, "catch ya later, man." He heard a click that meant his friend had hung up. Hanging up the phone, he headed downstairs to the store.

"Everything all right, tough guy?" Duncan asked him, curious.

Richie nodded. "Yeah, Mac," he said, faking a smile, "why wouldn't it be?"

Duncan just shrugged. "You have a distracted look on your face, that all," he told him.

"Just thinking," Richie told him, seriously.

"Don't think too hard," Duncan told him, teasing. "We don't want your head to overload itself, right?"

Richie rolled his eyes at that. "Ha, ha," he said, grinning, "very funny."

Duncan chuckled. "Come on," he said, jerking his head, "let's go unpack those crates." He then wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders and they headed for the store room.

It was couple of hours later that made up Richie's mind about the party. He and Mac had just finished setting up the last of the antique sculptures when a customer came in. Mac recognized her as the customer who had purchased the large Ming vase that had been sitting in the corner of the shop every since he'd been working here. The price of the thing was a couple of thousand, and the couple was more than happy to have finally sold it.

"Your boy there can carry it out to my car for me," The lady, who was dressed to the nines (in the middle of the day), told Duncan. The look she directed at Richie was far from flattering.

Richie bristled at that stare, having seen it too many times already.

Duncan noticed this and decided to intervene before the kid—or maybe himself—said something he'd regret. "That's all right, ma'am," he told her, "I'll be happy to do it." He easily picked up the rotund thing and headed out the door with it.

Even though he knew it wouldn't happen, Richie couldn't help but hope Mac would drop it by accident and shatter the thing to a million pieces. The store had a strict 'no refund' policy so that snotty lady would be out her two grand. However, the incident made up his mind.

He was going to that party tonight no matter what.

Duncan came back in, giving him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about that, Rich," he said, coming over and putting an arm around the kid's shoulders. "Don't pay that –uh—she-dragon any mind. Okay?"

Richie shrugged off his arm. "Sure, Mac," he said, grinning. "It's cool."

"Actually, no its not," Duncan told him. "No one has any right to look or talk to you like your lower than them."

"Right?" Richie said, clearly disbelieving him.

Duncan sighed, but then smiled. "How about we go ahead and close up?" he suggested. "We'll go get cleaned up, and the three of us will go out to eat tonight and maybe go to a movie. How's that sound?"

Richie knew the man was only trying to cheer him up, but there was no way he was about to pass up a free meal and movie. "Sure," he said, genuinely smiling now, "let's go."

"Great," Duncan said, slapping him on the back. "You go tell Tess and the two of you be getting ready while I lock up."

"Sure thing, boss," Richie told him, heading for the door to Tessa's work shop.

Dinner was awesome, and so was the movie. It was eight o'clock when they got home, and Richie knew that more than likely the couple would turn in immediately. Normally, he'd stay up for a little while and watch some television, but seeing as how he'd was going to have to leave soon to get to the party in time, he figured he'd best "turn in early".

"It's been a long day," he told the couple. "I think I'm just gonna go ahead and hit the hay. Okay?"

"Sure, Rich," Duncan told him, grinning at Tessa, "I think we will, too."

Richie grinned. He knew _that_ look. Mac and Tessa were going to be well "occupied" when he made his escape.

Heading into his room, he shut the light out and laid down on his bed to wait. As he listened for the sounds that would tell him when the couple retreated to their room, he couldn't help but feel guilty about what he was about to do. It wasn't that he was _trying_ to be disobedient or anything, it was just he had realized he was never going to fit into Duncan and Tessa's world; not completely anyway.

He might get on well with the two of them, but their friends and associates would always see him as a puke and former thief. If he lost his friends because they thought he was turning into some snob, he'd have no one EXCEPT Mac and Tessa. He really like spending time with them, like they did tonight, but they needed alone time together (like now) and he needed his friends.

He just hoped they didn't notice him gone otherwise he wouldn't have to worry about any thing like that because Mac would kill him.

The door of the couple's bedroom closing and the sound of Tess giggling told him it was time to make his exit. Getting up out of bed, he quietly made his way to his window and opened it. As quietly as he could, he climbed out onto the fire escape, shutting the window behind him. Luckily, there was no lock on it so he would be able to get back in.

Climbing down, he exited the alley. He'd catch the last bus to the old neighborhood and then have Gary or Angie drive him home after the party. Mac and Tessa wouldn't ever know he was gone.

He hoped.

TBC…


	6. Life of the Party! Not!

Highlander

Highlander

"Hearth and Home"

Summary: Duncan learns some surprising news about Richie, which only makes his resolve to give the boy a home and family that much stronger.

Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, Richie is only fifteen; takes place in season one just after "Family Tree".

Warning: This story will contain spanking of a teenager. If this offends, PLEASE don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor will I ever. I am simply writing this story purely for my personal enjoyment.

Chapter 6: Life of the Party…Not!

Gary's party was awesome!

At least, it would have been if Richie wasn't feeling so guilty about sneaking out. He'd been there twenty minutes already and he was miserable. Sure, it was nice seeing the guys and Angie again, but he just couldn't shake off the memories of tonight with Mac and Tessa.

"Hey, Rich," Gary said, coming over with a beer in his hand. "Having fun?" He'd been circulating the room, asking EVERYBODY that. He really wanted everyone to have a good time. After all, he only turned nineteen once.

"Yeah, Gar," Richie lied, his guts twisting. "It's a blast!"

_Man, what is wrong with me tonight!_

"Grab yourself a beer," Gary suggested, slapping him on the back, "and go dance with Angie. She looks lonely." He winked at him, making his meaning perfectly clear.

Richie grinned at that. Angie was probably his oldest friend here, and the only one to know his real age, ever since she'd helped him beat up the McGuire brothers in third grade. Deciding to take Gary's advice, he went and sat down beside her on the sofa.

"Hey, Ang," he greeted her, smiling his most charming smile, "did I mention I've missed you."

Angie grinned at him. "Sure," she said, "that's why you haven't bothered to call me in the last two months. Huh?"

Richie winced. Oops! He knew he'd been forgetting to do something. "Sorry about that," he told her, "I've been kinda busy lately."

"Yeah, Gary told us about you working in an antique store in the Heights," she said, impressed. "You like it?"

"It's great," he told her, smiling a genuine smile for the first time that night. "I'm working for this couple. She's drop dead gorgeous and he's…well, he's on the cutting edge of the antique world."

"Do they know?" Angie asked him, eyeing him shrewdly. "About…you know?" She was referring to his "underage" status.

Richie gulped. "Um, yeah that just found out," he said, hesitantly. "Old lady Harrison tracked them down."

"How'd she find out where you were?" Angie asked him, concerned. If Social Services knew he'd changed his records…

"I kinda tried to steal the hard copies," he told her, holding up his hand defensively. "I know, it was a dumb move and believe me Mac read me the riot act big time when he bailed me out, but I just HAD to know. Anyway, to make a long story short they got to looking and found that my birth date was different than on the computers. Harrison came and talked to Mac and Tessa."

"What'd they say?" she asked, curious. "Were they made, are they going to fire you?"

"No," Richie told her, "in fact…well, Mac's planning to adopt me." There, he'd said it. He'd had a few days to get used to the idea, but it still sounded strange to his ears.

"Wow," Angie told him, surprised and yet happy for him, "that's awesome, Rich." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

Richie blushed. "Yeah," he said, his voice breaking a little bit, "it is."

Angie then looked at him shrewdly again. "Do they know you're here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Richie fidgeted. "Well," he said, hesitantly, "not exactly. In fact, my curfew on weekdays is ten o'clock."

"You snuck out," Angie said, knowingly. "Won't they be mad?"

"Let's just say," Richie said, wincing, "I won't enjoy it much."

"I can bet," Angie told him. "You're feeling guilty though, aren't you?"

Richie looked at her in surprise. "H-How did you know?" he asked, curious.

"I know you, Rich," she told him, "remember? Normally, you've had a couple of beers already and have everybody laughing by now. Why did you come if you knew your new dad wouldn't let you?"

"Because," Richie said, shrugging.

Angie didn't buy his tough guy act anymore than Mac or Tessa. "Uh huh," she said, giving him a look.

Richie sighed. "Gary told me the guys all think I'm turning into some type of yuppie," he told her, "and that's not true. Believe me, Mac and Tessa's friends all look at me like I should shine their shoes or something."

"Does…uh…Mac and Tessa expect you act like their friends?" she asked him.

Richie shook his head. "No," he said, "they keep telling me to be myself and that no one has the right to look down at me. Today, this really snooty lady came in and was all like 'have your boy there carry this big old vase that I paid good money for out to my car for me' and I thought Mac was going to let her have it for sure."

Angie grinned, thinking she was going to like this Mac if she ever got to meet him. It was obvious him and his girlfriend really cared about Richie. "He sounds great," she told him. "Do you want me to give you a ride home?"

"Gary will be bummed if we leave now," he told her, "besides, I only just got here."

Angie shook her head. "Gary's had three beers already," she told him, "and you know how he can't hold his liquor. He's probably about three sheets to the wind already. I doubt he'll even know we're gone. Besides, I think he'd understand about the whole 'parents' thing. Why do you think he had to wait 'til his dad was outta town to throw this little bash? "

Richie smiled. Gary, despite his macho-guy persona, really was a big softie at heart and an all around good guy; he'd understand. "All right," he said, "but how come you want to leave?"

"That's easy," Angie said, smiling as they headed for the door. "The only reason I showed in the first place was to see you."

Richie looked at her and a big grin on his face. Guilt aside, she had just made his night.

Once they reached the store, he had her stop a few feet from it. "Well," he said, "wish me luck. Hopefully, they're both still asleep."

Angie nodded. "Good luck," she said, kissing him on the cheek, "call me tomorrow and let me know what happens. Okay?"

Richie nodded, grinning. "If you don't here from me," he said, "you'll probably know I'm dead."

Angie rolled her eyes at him. "Get going," she said. "Bye."

"Later, Ang," Richie said, getting out of the car. He climbed the fire escape, and eased his window open. Getting, he closed it back just as quietly. Going to his bedroom door, he listened for any sounds that may have meant Mac or Tessa was awake. He didn't hear anything, so breathed a sigh of relief.

That was short lived.

Footsteps approaching had him scrambling to get his shoes off and he jumped into bed. He'd just managed to pull the covers up over him and roll over when the door opened. "Richie," Mac's voice whispered, "you asleep, pal?"

Richie cringed, but pretended to be asleep. Maybe if he didn't move, the man would go on back to bed. He heard feet moving and a shadow fell across the wall he was facing. Mac was standing over him, gazing down at him. He made certain he kept his eyes firmly shut, but there was nothing he could do about his pounding heart. It felt like it had decided to play "Babaloo" over and over again.

"Sweet dreams, Tough Guy," he heard Mac whisper, and then almost jumped when the man leaned down and kissed his hair. "I love you." He then quietly made his way out of the room and closed the door back behind him.

Richie's stomach twisted again and he felt like he might be sick.

_Sure I'll have sweet dreams…Not!_

It was going to be a long night.

TBC…


	7. Major Guilt Trip

Highlander

Highlander

"Hearth and Home"

Summary: Duncan learns some surprising news about Richie, which only makes his resolve to give the boy a home and family that much stronger.

Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, Richie is only fifteen; takes place in season one just after "Family Tree".

Warning: This story will contain spanking of a teenager. If this offends, PLEASE don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor will I ever. I am simply writing this story purely for my personal enjoyment.

Chapter 7: Major Guilt Trip

Richie woke up the next morning, having actually managed to sleep. Unfortunately, the moment his mind returned to consciousness so did the guilt over last night. Groaning, he rolled over and looked at his alarm clock.

"What the…" he uttered, sitting up.

It was ten o'clock in the morning! Even on the days he WASN'T working in the store, Mac usually hauled his butt out of bed by at least eight or so.

He wondered what was up that the man would let him sleep in so late. Getting up, he headed out of his room. Hearing noises in the kitchen, he headed that way. He found Mac fixing breakfast.

"Uh, morning," he greeted the man, hesitantly.

Duncan looked at him and smiled. "Morning, Tough Guy," he said, "you hungry?"

Richie grinned despite himself. "Always," he said, "but why did you let me sleep so late?"

"I figured I'd give you a break," Duncan told him, dishing out the eggs he was fixing for the boy onto a plate, "after the late night you had last night."

Richie stilled for a moment, wondering if the man knew he'd snuck out.

"Late night?" he asked, innocently.

"Yeah," the Scotsman said, bringing over the plate and setting it at the table, "you seemed pretty wiped after we got home last night."

"Oh," Richie said, "right. Well, thanks."

"Go ahead," Duncan told him, "take a seat and dig in."

Richie sat down and found a plate full of nearly ALL his favorite breakfast foods: eggs, bacon, sausage, a stack of blue-berry pancakes; heck, there was even a small basket of biscuits sitting in front of him. Mac had gone all out…just for him. It should have made him feel all warm inside; instead it just made him feel even worse.

"You okay, Rich?" Duncan asked him, watching him intently. "Feeling okay this morning?"

Richie nodded. "Sure, Mac," he said, hesitantly picking up his fork to begin eating. "I'm cool. So, where's Tessa?"

"Oh," Duncan said, casually, "she snuck out this morning to go shopping."

Richie fork froze half-way to his mouth. Something about the way Mac had said that didn't sound quite right. Did he know?

"Uh," he said, hesitantly, "shopping? What for?"

"Something about getting a present for her friend's birthday party," Duncan told him, grinning. The kid was practically squirming in his seat; it wouldn't be long now.

Richie put his fork down and looked at the man, helplessly. "You know, don't you?" he asked, mournfully. "About…last night?"

Duncan smiled. "I wasn't born yesterday, Tough Guy," he said, coming over and sitting down next to him. "First you get a phone call you don't want me to hear, then you seem distracted as if you're trying to decide something, and finally you decide to turn in at eight o'clock at night when you normally stay up 'til midnight. I kinda figured SOMETHING was up. Plus, I happened to go check on you a little while after that and found you gone."

Richie winced. "Y-You d-don't seem mad," he said, hesitantly.

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "I'm far from pleased, Richard," he said, seriously, "but I'm not going to just go ballistic on you without talking to you first."

"Oh," Richie said, glumly, "so I'm in trouble."

Duncan raised the other eyebrow. "Oh, yeah," he said, smirking. "Big Trouble."

Again, Richie winced. "So," he said, "all this—last night when you told me you 'loved' me, letting me sleep in this morning, and making me this food—was just to put a major guilt trip on me?"

Duncan grinned. "Not entirely, no," he said. "I came in last night because I was worried and wanted to make sure you were all right. I kissed you and told you I love you because I was glad you were safe and sound—plus, it happens to be very true—and I made you breakfast because I not only like doing it but you could stand to eat more in the mornings besides cereal. Now, maybe, the letting you sleep in part was to make you feel guilty, but only a little bit."

Richie nodded. "Okay," he said, "so…grounded?"

Duncan again grinned. "Yep," he said, nodding.

"Extra chores?" Richie asked, next.

"Possibly," Duncan answered him, evenly.

_That means yes,_ Richie thought to himself sullenly. "Uh," he asked, hesitantly, "what about…" He trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air between them.

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "You can say it, Rich," he told him, firmly.

Richie sighed. "Fine," he huffed. "Are you going to spank me?"

"Do you think I should?" Duncan asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair.

Richie groaned. "Ah, Mac," he said, "not that again! Am I going to be hearing that every time?"

"Yes," Duncan told him, "because I want you to think about what you did and determine for yourself if you think it warrants a spanking or not."

"What if I say I don't think I do?" Richie asked, eyeing him shrewdly. "What then?"

Duncan shrugged. "Then I won't do it," he said, quietly. "It's as simple as that. Of course, you're the one who will have to live with the guilt but if that's what you want to do…so be it."

Richie groaned again. "Maaaaac!" he whined. "Come on, can't you make it easier?"

"Why should I, Rich?" Duncan told him. "I wasn't the one who pretended to go to bed just so I could sneak out past my curfew and go to a party in a part of town that pretty much as murderers and rapists on every street corner!"

Richie winced at that less than flattering description of his old neighborhood, even though he knew it was a pretty accurate one.

"I'm sorry, Mac," he said, miserably.

"I know, pal," Duncan told him, "but you still haven't answered my question. Do you think what you did warrant being turned across my knee and given a spanking? Yes or No?"

Richie sighed. He really did feel guilty about what he'd done, maybe he _did_ deserve one.

"I guess," he said, quietly.

"That didn't sound like a very sure answer, Richard," Duncan said, firmly.

Richie winced at the use of his full name. "All right," he said, refusing to look the man in the eye.

"I do deserve a s-spanking for sneaking out last night. Happy now?"

Duncan reached over and lifted the boy's chin. He had dropped his calm pretense now and there was almost fire blazing from his eyes.

"No," he said, sternly, "actually I'm not, but we'll deal with that in a minute. Finish your breakfast." He crossed his arms again and leaned back in his chair.

Richie gulped and looked back down at the food. He stomach twisted again, but this time for an entirely different reason. "Uh," Richie asked, feeling queasy, "can't we just get it over with?"

Duncan raised an eyebrow and gave him a pointed look.

Richie knew that look. It was the one reserved for evil Immortals…or teenagers who'd reached the end of their rope.

"All right already," he said, picking up his fork. "I'm eating. I'm eating."

_Man, my butt's as good as toasted!_

TBC…


	8. Show Time

Highlander

Highlander

"Hearth and Home"

Summary: Duncan learns some surprising news about Richie, which only makes his resolve to give the boy a home and family that much stronger.

Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, Richie is only fifteen; takes place in season one just after "Family Tree".

Warning: This story will contain spanking of a teenager. If this offends, PLEASE don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor will I ever. I am simply writing this story purely for my personal enjoyment.

Chapter 8: Show Time

Even though he knew it wouldn't do him any good, Richie still ate his breakfast as slowly as possible trying to stall for time.

Finally, Duncan had enough of his hemming and hawing. "All right, Rich," he said, "finish up. Now."

Richie gulped what was in his mouth. "You told me to finish my breakfast," he told him, innocently.

Duncan smirked. "Yes, I did," he said, "but normally your plate is clean within five minutes of you sitting down. It has now been twenty minutes, and you've stalled long enough. I'm going to go get something from mine and Tess's bedroom, and when I come back I expect to find your butt planted on the sofa. Understand?" He stood up, crossed his arms, and leveled the teen with a look.

Richie sighed, knowing he couldn't put off the inevitable any longer. He nodded. "Yes, sir," he said, quietly.

Duncan nodded, patting him on the shoulder and then went to get whatever it was he was going to get.

_Probably his belt,_ Richie thought as he took his plate and glass to put in the dishwasher. He then went out into the living room, sat down on the sofa, and waited for Mac.

Duncan returned, pleased to find that Richie had done as he was told. He carried Tessa's wooden-handled hairbrush in his hand.

Richie's eyes widened at the sight of it. _Uh oh, show time!_

Duncan sat the brush directly in front of the kid on the coffee table, and then sat down in the arm chair across from it. "All right, Rich," he told him, his voice calm and steady, "this is how this is going to work. You already know _why_ you're getting this spanking, but I do want to talk to you about it first."

Richie nodded. "Sure, boss," he said, hesitantly. "Y-You're not gonna like make me drop my pants, uh, are you?" He blushed at that. The spanking was bad enough, but a _bare_ spanking would have been even worse.

Duncan shook his head. "Not this time, tough guy," he told him. "This is your first offense, so I'm gonna go easy on you."

Richie blanched at that. _He calls taking a hairbrush to my butt easy!_

Duncan pointed ignored the look the boy gave him. "Your going to come over here," he told him, "I'm going to turn you across my knee and then I'm going to use my hand first and then the hairbrush. Now, come here."

Richie's heart was beating rapidly now. "Right," he muttered, getting up unsteadily, "show time." He stepped over beside the chair the Highlander was sitting in.

Duncan took his arm and guided him face down over his lap. Feeling the tensed up muscles, he rubbed the teen's back reassuringly. "Don't worry, tough guy," he told him, gently, "everything's going to be all right."

Richie snorted at that. "You're not the one whose about to get his butt busted," he told him, sourly.

Duncan grinned. "You'll be sore," he promised him, "but otherwise you'll be fine. Trust me." He then raised his hand back and brought it down, hard.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Richie couldn't yelp but jump slightly as those first eight smacks landed on his jean covered bottom, sending a tingling heat through it. He bit his lip, determined not to cry or otherwise make a sound. This _had_ been his decision, after all.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Okay, maybe this had been a _bad_ decision. The tingling heat had now become a warm burning sensation and he felt tears start to sting his eyes. He bit his lip harder.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Now, he started to squirm. The burning had become a sizzling crackle and he felt the tears start to fall down his cheek. He didn't know how much more he could take…

"All right, Rich," Duncan told him, sensing how close the kid was to his limit, "I want you to bring me Tessa's hairbrush now."

Richie groaned, having forgotten about that! Mac let him off his lap, and he retrieved the wooden instrument. Holding it as if it were a snake, he handed it to the Immortal.

Taking it, Duncan guided the boy back down over his lap. Raising the hairbrush back, he brought it down on the kid's behind.

**SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!**

Richie couldn't stop the gasp that escaped from him as those first swats of the brush landed. He had thought Mac's hand had hurt! The sizzling crackle had now become a roaring fire! He felt a sob beginning to stir in his throat.

"I know, Rich," Duncan whispered to him, "but it's almost over." He raised the hairbrush back one more time.

**SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!**

Richie could no longer take anymore. He started bawling in earnest now and the sob he felt forming escaped his lips. He was trembling from trying to hold it in and…well, his butt HURT!

"I-I'm sorry, Mac," he whimpered, biting his lip harder still.

Duncan tossed the hairbrush aside. "I know, son," he told the boy, rubbing gentle circles into his back. "It's over now, though." He let the boy up off his lap, stood up, and then pulled him into hug.

The word "son" registered in Richie's ears and only seemed to make the water works increase. Clinging to the man he had come to respect so much in such a short time as if his life depended on it, he allowed himself to cry.

Duncan simply held him, taking great joy in simply holding the boy he had come to love (and would soon be) as a son of his heart.

After a few minutes, Richie's tears began to ebb and he was able to compose himself. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he pulled away from the man and wiped the tears from his face. The tough guy was back, but at least he no longer felt that awful guilty feeling in his gut now. Sure, he butt felt like it was on fire but at least he didn't feel like he was going to throw his breakfast up or anything.

"I really am sorry, Mac," he told him, sincerely.

Duncan smiled. "I know, Rich," he said, gently. "I know. Now, you're going to be grounded for the next two weeks. All right?"

Richie nodded, only just now remembered that. "Yes, sir," he said, resisting the urge to rub his backside.

"That means," Duncan told him, wanting him to understand his punishment clearly, "no dates, not girls, no friends, no phone calls…"

Richie winced, remembering he was supposed to call Angie. "Uh, would it be okay if I made _one_ phone call right quick?" he asked, hesitantly. "I kinda promised my friend Angie—she gave me a ride home last night—a call and let her know what happened."

Duncan thought a moment. This _was_ the boy's first offense. "All right," he told him, 'but ONLY that one phone call and it had better be a quick one. Got it?"

Richie nodded, wincing. "Oh," he said, reaching back to rub his burning behind. "I got it, all right."

Duncan chuckled, reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair. "Go on, you," he said, sending him off with a light smack to his seat.

Richie started for the kitchen to use the phone in there. "Hey, Rich," Mac called him, regaining his attention.

"Yeah, Mac?" The teenager asked, looking back at him.

"I love you," Duncan told him, sincerely.

Richie felt a lump form in his throat. _How does he __**do **__ that? _He wondered silently about the man's seemingly easy ability to put so much meaning and emotion into a few short words. "Thanks, Mac," he said, finding his voice again.

Duncan hid his disappointment well, understanding that the boy simply wasn't ready or comfortable enough with their new relationship yet to be able to utter those words back to him. "Anytime, Rich," he told him, grinning. "Now go on.You've got seven minutes and counting before I cut the phone line."

Richie beat it to the kitchen, fast.

Duncan chuckled as he picked up Tessa's hairbrush and went to return it to her dressing table. She'd use it on _him_ if he didn't and that was something to be avoided at all costs.

In the kitchen, Richie smiled when Angie's voice spoke down the line. "Hey, Ang," he told her. "I can't talk long…yeah, he found out…I'm grounded for two weeks and I've extra chores…No, he was pretty reasonable about it…Sure, come on by. Mac and Tess'll love to meet you…Okay, bye." The entire conversation had lasted a grand total of five minutes, but a lot had been said in those five minutes.

Duncan stolled in just as he was hanging up. "Take care of everything?" he asked him, grinning.

Richie nodded. "Yeah," he said, smiling. He just stood there.

"Uh, Rich," Duncan said, amused.

"Yeah, Mac," Richie said, looking at him in confusion.

"Now would the time you head to your room," Duncan told him, smiling.

Richie blushed. "Right, big guy," he said, "I'm going." Strolling out of the kitchen, he made his way to his bedroom. So what if he was grounded? So what if his butt felt like it had been ground into hamburger? So…well, okay maybe that was being a little TOO tough…

_Ow!_

TBC…


	9. Richard Ryan MacLeod

Highlander

Highlander

"Hearth and Home"

Summary: Duncan learns some surprising news about Richie, which only makes his resolve to give the boy a home and family that much stronger.

Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, Richie is only fifteen; takes place in season one just after "Family Tree".

Warning: This story will contain spanking of a teenager. If this offends, PLEASE don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor will I ever. I am simply writing this story purely for my personal enjoyment.

Chapter 9: Richard Ryan MacLeod

Richie survived being grounded without complaining TOO much. Sure, he'd give Mac dirty looks every now and then, especially when he was in the middle of a particular dirty chore, but he didn't really mean it.

Over the next few weeks, a routine began to form for them. Mac changed the work schedule in the store so that Richie worked in the afternoons each day, while he and Tessa alternated opening the store and working in the mornings. This was because they began tutoring sessions with him.

One Mondays and Wednesdays, while Tessa worked the store, Mac began teaching him History, Science, and Math. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, while Mac opened the store, Tessa began teaching him French, Literature, and Art. He got Fridays off, both from his lessons and from working in the store. Saturday was _his_ day to open the store while Tessa and Mac took care of anything they needed to; usually meaning they spent the morning "enjoying each other's company".

On Sundays, they started doing things together. One week they spent the day in the park, eating a picnic lunch, throwing a Frisbee around, and they even tried to teach Tessa how to play basketball. The next week, they went and saw the latest "Arnold" film; which he thought was completely awesome but he wasn't so sure Mac and Tessa found it so. The week after that, they closed up Friday and went to the cabin for the weekend. They went canoeing, Mac taught him how to fish, and even went swimming. All three enjoyed themselves very much.

It was on the fourth week that Mrs. Harrison came by. It was Tessa's morning to be in the store, while Mac and Richie were in the office. The Immortal was trying to get the kid to understand the strategic maneuver of the Emancipation Proclamation without much success.

"It's was a piece of paper, Mac," Richie told him, stubbornly, "how could it have been a weapon to beat the Rebels?"

Duncan sighed. "It wasn't technically a weapon, Rich," he explained, patiently. "It was a strategic move on Lincoln part to weaken the Confederates. It worked, by the way."

"I bet," Richie said, grinning. "Hey, did you ever meet him? Lincoln, I mean? What was he like? Was he really all that honest? Did…"

"Richie," Mac said, warningly. He was always amazed at how easily the boy could go off on a tangent and get them completely off the main point of the lesson.

Richie grimaced. "Right," he said, "sorry."

Mac smiled. "It's okay," he said, "and no I never did really meet Lincoln. Although, I did see him once or twice."

"Cool," Richie said, impressed.

A knock on the door had them looking in that direction. Tessa was standing there, smiling at them. "Yeah, Tess?" Duncan asked, curiously.

"Mrs. Harrison is here," she told them. "She wishes to speak with us."

Richie lost the smile. What did that old bat want? He should have known things were going too smoothly to last.

Duncan came around the desk and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It'll be okay, Rich," he told him. "I promise. She said she'd be stopping by to check on things and let us know how the adoption is coming."

Richie nodded, though he still wasn't convinced.

"Show her in, love," Duncan told Tessa, gently.

Tessa nodded and returned a few moments later with Mrs. Harrison and an older man wearing a suit.

"Mr. MacLeod," Mrs. Harrison greeted the Immortal, shaking his hand, "thank you for seeing us. Hello, Richie." She turned and smiled at the boy.

"Yeah," Richie said, not really looking at her, "hey." He didn't sound too enthused.

"Richard," Duncan said disapproval and warning in his voice.

Richie blushed. "I mean," he said, standing up, "hello Mrs. Harrison."

Mrs. Harrison smiled at that. She turned to the man standing beside her. "This is my husband, Peter," she introduced her companion.

"Mr. MacLeod," Mr. Harrison said, holding out his hand, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Duncan said, shaking the man's hand. He then looked questioningly at the social worker.

"I have some very good news, Mr. MacLeod," Mrs. Harrison said, smiling.

"About the adoption?" Duncan asked, hopefully.

She nodded. "Yes," she told him. "You see, Peter is a Family Court judge."

"I would be more than happy to approve this adoption, Mr. MacLeod," Judge Harrison said. "Even though Joyce explained the circumstances to me, I still wanted to come by today and meet with you before I made my final decision. We spoke at length with Ms. Noel out in the store before coming in here and from what I've seen so far it seems you are doing a very good job with young Mr. Ryan."

Mrs. Harrison reached into her briefcase. "I have already had the adoption papers drawn up," she said. "All that is needed is for you and Richie to sign them. I believe Ms. Noel could act as our witness, so she will have to sign as well." She smiled at Tessa.

"I'd be happy to," Tessa said, overjoyed.

"Once I sign it," Judge Harrison explained, "it will still have to be filed with the Family Court, but other than that it will be official. You, young man, will forever be Richard Ryan MacLeod."

Richie smiled at that. "MacLeod, huh?" he said. "I can live with that."

Duncan felt a lump form in his throat. _So can I, lad. So can I._

"Well then," Mrs. Harrison said, smiling, "let's not belabor the point. Mr. MacLeod?" She handed Duncan a pen, and then showed him where to sign. He did so, and then handed Richie the pen.

The boy took it with trembling fingers. He had waited for this day for so long, he really couldn't believe it was finally happening. "D-Do I sign my new name?" he asked, curious. He'd noticed that was what was under the line where his signature went, so he thought he'd ask.

Judge Harrison nodded. "It signifies that you accept Mr. MacLeod as your father," he explained, "and are willing to take his name as a significance of becoming his son."

"Oh," Richie said, "okay." He signed his new name: Richard Ryan MacLeod.

_That's just so cool!_

"Ms. Noel?" Mrs. Harrison said, handing Tessa the pen. "You sign here, bearing that you witnessed these proceedings." Tessa nodded and signed her name.

Judge Harrison then took the pen and signed his name on the final blank line. "I will still have to place my official seal on it before it can be registered with the family courts," he told them, "but I'll do that first thing tomorrow morning."

"After that," Mrs. Harrison said, "I will send you copies of the papers for you to keep." She put the cap back on the pen and then placed the papers back into her briefcase along with it.

"Congratulations, Richie," she told the boy. "I'm so happy for you." She meant that. She had always thought it such a shame no one ever wanted this smart, somewhat vexing, youth; but she supposed he had always been meant to be with MacLeod and that is why his placements had all ended as they had. Fate always gets its on way, or so she had heard.

Richie was smiling from ear to ear. He was adopted!

Duncan was smiling, as well. He had a son! After four centuries, he had a child of his own.

Tessa was nearly beside herself with happiness. Their family was now complete!

"Mrs. Harrison," Duncan said, "I believe a celebration is in order. Would you and your husband please join us?"

Both Mrs. and Judge Harrison smiled. "We'd be delighted, Mr. MacLeod," she said, accepting his kind invitation.

An hour or so later found them at a restaurant; the adults were sipping champagne while Richie was given a soda.

He had grumbled a little about that…or until his new father had given him a pointed look. He suddenly decided soda was just fine, after that.

"To Richard Ryan MacLeod," the Immortal said, raising his glass in a toast. He was so happy at this moment he wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

"To Richard Ryan MacLeod," three other voices said, and four glasses clinked.

They looked to the fifth, wondering why he had not joined in.

"Uh," Richie said, sheepishly, "to me!" He then raised his glass and took a sip.

The four adults at the table burst out laughing.

Richie was a bit insulted, but then he too joined in.

It was a good day.

He was now Richard Ryan MacLeod…of the Clan MacLeod.

Now and Forever.

_Cool!_

The End.

A.N: Sequel: Kith and Kin. Coming soon.


End file.
